Election Commission sends notice to BJP, Congress on Amit Shah, Rahul Gandhi’s speeches

The Election Commission on Saturday (November 16) sought an explanation from the BJP and Congress presidents, asking them to explain the comments made by their star activists Amit Shah and Rahul Gandhi.

The comments allegedly violate survey rules.

BJP chief JP Nadda and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge have to file their responses by 1pm on Monday, two days before the polls close in Maharashtra and Jharkhand (where the second phase of voting will be held). NDTV reported.

The BJP has filed a complaint against Rahul Gandhi, alleging that the Congress leader “falsely accused other states of stealing and stealing the supposed opportunities of the state of Maharashtra” in his speech in Mumbai on 6 November.

“Through his statements, Rahul Gandhi is inciting the youth of Maharashtra, which is extremely dangerous for the unity and integrity of the nation. As expected and as per his typical pattern of campaigning and general behaviour, Rahul Gandhi’s speech was full of falsehoods and lies. , intending to create disaffection, enmity and ill-will among the states of the Indian Union by his misleading statement, tried to create division between the people of Maharashtra and Gujarat and other states,” the BJP said in its complaint. November 11.

In a counter-complaint, the Congress accused Amit Shah of making “a series of false, contradictory, malicious and defamatory statements about the Indian National Congress (INC) and its allies” during an election rally in Dhanbad in Jharkhand on November 12.

“During his speech, Amit Shah claimed that the INC and its allies are: (a) against Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC); (b) promote terrorism in the country. which became the accepted narrative during the BJP’s campaign in Jharkhand, Amit Shah also accused the INC of planning to take away reservations from members of the ST, SC and OBC communities and give them to members of a particular religious minority community,” he said. Congress in its November 13 complaint.

The Congress alleged that Amit Shah’s remarks were made with the “sole purpose of inciting voters on the basis of religion and caste; to consolidate votes and induce them to vote for BJP by fomenting public danger.”

The model code of conduct prohibits actions which may aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred or cause tension between different castes and communities, whether religious or linguistic.

It also states that criticism of other political parties should be limited to their policies and programs, past experience and performance.